It is all in the betting pattern - long

[Mike]

I had an 'aha moment' the other night, kind of simple, but I guess they all are after you have them. I thought I would share it and perhaps learn how you think about things. I'm a pretty visual thinker, so I tend to relate things visually.

I had been fortunate enough to have played in some really easy games for a period of time recently - now in the quickly dimming past. About three weeks ago I sit down in my normal game, and I am throwing out money at a rate a maniac would be proud of! The problem is it is not coming back like I had become used to! In fact it wasn't coming back at all!! When I had taken enough of a beating, I went home and started going over my game...what had changed. I thought maybe it was just a losing session, but it was serious. Suddenly on my computer, instead of my usual beating TTH for about 4 BB an hour, I was now winning a total of about 1 sb an hour in a good session! What the heh?!

After a few weeks of not playing anywhere, and thinking seriously about what was happening. And yes, I wasted some of that thinking going down some of down those avenues serious gamblers and the superstitious think in, I had my 'aha' moment.

Perhaps you have figured it out, but here is my visual explanation:

In my 'normal' game I feel like I am playing a concert piano, I use a light touch and a lot of thought goes into the composition. I would liken it to playing Mozart, not a lot of excitement but it works.

In the time I had playing the easy games I became a maniac! I took off the fine calfskin gloves, put on some heavy leather work gloves and really pounded those piano keys! I was playing the Tchaichkowsky 1812 overature and Ride of the Valkeries, over and over, sometimes both at once, and it worked very well! In fact it worked so well I forgot how to play correctly!

So, what's the aha - if you're still reading that is? I realized for me at least - it's all in the betting! The hands I play do not change that much from game to game with the exception of a few riskier hands in those really soft games I am lucky enough to sit in.

The betting pattern makes all the difference! In a soft game I may raise with total impunity. In an average game I may be satisfied with a bet, and in a tough game a check may be the right play because I know the bets and raises are coming behind me sure as the sun is shining.

I was so used to sitting down, making a rack or so, and leaving that I had unlearned correct play, and more importantly correct betting. It's kind of strange, I am used to changing my style during a session, but I never equated it to changing my betting patterns!

I proved again to myself that for me it takes much less time to unlearn good play than to learn good play in the first place. Hope you aren't in the same boat!